The effects of exercise and non-exercise prenatal classes on anxiety and body esteem during pregnancy

Includes bibliographical references (pages [59]-62)Research has suggested that exercise can be useful in reducing anxiety levels and improving body image. For this reason, one can speculate as to the effect exercise might have on psychological changes accompanying pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of prenatal exercise and non-exercise classes on pregnancy-induced anxiety and body esteem changes during pregnancy. Subjects included 35 multiparas and primiparas with a mean age of 30.29 years, all in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. It was hypothesized that, although both prenatal exercise classes and childbirth education classes offer education about pregnancy and social support from peers and health professionals, the variable of exercise would result in greater reduction in pregnancy-induced anxiety and increases in body esteem when compared with nonexercise childbirth education classes. Measures included administration of the Pregnancy Anxiety Scale (PAS), and Body Esteem Scale (BES) on the first and last days of a 6-week Prenatal Aquatic Exercise program and a 4 week Childbirth Education (non-exercise) program Results indicated non-significant main effects (alpha